1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to apparatuses for assembling lens modules, particularly to an apparatus for picking up an optical element.
2. Description of Related Art
The ongoing development in microcircuitry and multimedia technology has made digital cameras popular and put into widespread use. High-end portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are being developed to be increasingly multi-functional. Nowadays, some of these portable electronic devices are equipped with a camera module.
The camera module generally includes a lens module, which includes a lens barrel and a plurality of optical elements mounted in the lens barrel. The optical elements may for example include lenses, spacers, and an infrared-cut (IR-cut) filter.
A typical method for assembling the lens module includes securing a lens barrel on an assembly station, grasping an optical element, and mounting the optical element into the lens barrel, one by one with an optical element grasping member (e.g. a suction nozzle). The optical element-grasping member, the optical elements, and the lens barrel must be coaxial. If the optical element-grasping member is not coaxial with the optical elements when mounting the optical elements, eccentricity may occur between the optical elements and the lens barrel, thereby adversely affecting the optical performance of the lens module.
Therefore, an improved apparatus is desired to overcome the above-described deficiencies.